Retractable toothcomb



Jan. 29, 1952 w, JOHNSON g 2,584,023

RETRACTABLE TOOTHCOMB Filed Feb. 20. 1950 william H. .lo/mson Dal/a ce M. .nim

BY W I Atg:

Patented Jan. 29, 1952 OFFICE RETRACTABLE TOOTHCOMB William H. Johnson and Dollace i i Washington, D. `C.

M. Johnson,

Application February 20, 1950, Serial No. *145,198 4 Clains. (o. 132445) This' invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in combs, and the principal object of the invention is to facilitate winding of hair into a cui-l by using the comb and thereafter permitting the comb to be withdrawn Without the teeth thereof becoming entangled with the curled hair.

The above object is achieved by the provision of a comb having retractable teeth, an important feature of the invention residing in the provision of means for projecting and retracting the teeth, while another feature lies in the provision of means for locking the teeth in their retracted position.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its Simplicity of Construction, in its efiicient and convenient operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important features and objects in View, and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and constructicn of parte as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the invention,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof,

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View, similar to that shown in Figure 2, but illustrating the teeth in their retracted position,

Figure 4 is a transvese sectonal detail, taken substantially in the plane of the line 4--4 in Figure 2, and

Figura 5 is a transverse sectional detail, taken substantially in 'the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 3.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parte in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a comb which is designated generally by the reference character m and. embodies in its Construction an elongated member !2 affording a casing !4 and a hollow handle G at one end of the casing, the casing preferably being circular in cross-section while the handle is rectangular, as is best shown in Figures 4 and 5.

In any event, the' member iz is provided at the bottom thereof with a longitudinally extending slot !8 while a pair of longitudinally spaced stop straps 20 extend transversely of this slot and are rigidly Secured to the handle !6.

A back bar 22 extends longitudnally in the i 2 casing !2 and is rrnovable toward and away from the slot !8, that is perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of themember [2, as indicated by the arrows 24, 26. Longitudnal sliding or shifting of the back bar 22 is prevented by having the opposite ends thereof in slidable engagement with the respective end walls 28, 30 of the member !2, and the inward and outward lateral movement of the back bar is guided by a pair of stationary pins 32 which are Secured to the inner surface of the handle [6 and are receivable in suitable bores or apertures 34 with which the back bar is formed. Moreover, the pins 32 function `as sustainng elements for a pair of compression springs 36 which are interposed between the handle IB and the back bar 22 so as to urge the latter outwardly, that is, in the direction of the arrow 26, against the stop straps 20.

The back bar 22 is also provided with a row of teeth which project outwardly from the casing !4 through the slot I 8 when the back bar 22 abuts thestop strap 20 as shown in Figure 2,

but it is tobe noted that the back bar is also `equipped With an elongated nger piece 4 0 which is connected at longitudinally spaced points to the back bar and projects outwardly from the handle [6 through the slot IB, so that by simply pressing the nger piece 40 into the handle 16 as indicated by the arrow 24, the back bar 22 is pushed inwardly and the teeth 38 are retracted into the casing [4.

A substantially U-shaped, resilient clip 42 is Secured within the handle IS as at 44 and is frictionally engageable with a sectionally reduced portion 46 of the back bar 22 for releasably locking the back bar in its inwardly pushed position while the teeth are retracted. However, it is to be noted that the finger piece 40, protruding outwardly through the slot 18 and extending over the stop straps 20, is spaced by the stop straps from the lower edges 48 of the handle lt so that sufiicient space exists to enable the finger piece to be grasped for disengaging the back bar 22 from the clip 4'2, thus permitting the springs 35 to force the bar 22 outwardly to project the teeth 38 from the casing [4. i

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understocd from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arinvention, what is bar movable in said casing toward and away from r said slot, a row of teeth provided on said back bar, resilient means for urging said back bar to a position wherein said teeth project outwardly from the casing through the slot, means for stopping said back bar against outward movement when the teeth are projected, and an elongated flng'er piece connected at the ends thereof to longitudinaliy spaced points on said back bar,-`

said nger piece projecting outwardly through said slot and extending over said stopping me'ans,

Whereby the back bar may be pushed inwardly to retract said teeth, and a resilient clip disposed within the handle which is frictionally engageable with said back bar for looking the same in an inwardly disposed position.

2.111 a retractable tooth comb, the combination of an elongated member affording a casing and a hollow handle atone end of said casing, said member being provided with a longitudinally extending slot, a stop strap provided on said handle and extending transversely of said slot intermediate the ends of the latter, a longitudinally extending back bar movable in said handle toward and away from said slot and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member, a row of teeth provided on said back bar, a plurality of resilient means spaced longitudinally of said handle and arranged inside thereof for urging the back bar against said stop strap wherein said teeth project outwardly from said casing through said slot, and an elongated finger piece connected at the ends thereof to longitudinally spaced points on said back bar,

said nger piece projecting outwardly through said slot and extending over said stop strap whereby the back bar maybe pushed inwardly to retract said teeth.

3. The device as defined in claim 2 together with means comprisng pins secured to the inner part of the handle for guiding the movement of said back bar. i i

4. In a retractable tooth comb, the combination of an elongated member afiording a casing and a hollow handle at one end of said casing, said member being provided with a longitudinally extending slot, a stop strap provided on said handle and extending transverselyof said slot intermediate the ends of the latter, a longitudinally extending back bar movable in said handle toward any away from said slot and in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said member, a row of teeth provided on said back bar, resilient means for urging the back bar against said stop strap wherein said teeth project outwardly from said casing through said slot, and an elongated finger piece connected' at the ends thereof to longitudinally spaced points on said bar, said nger piece projecting outwardly through said slot and extending over said stop strap, whereby the back bar may be pushed inwardly to retract said teeth, and a resilientclip provided in said handle, said clip being frictionally engageable with said back bar for lockng the same in an inwardly pushed position.

WILLIAM I-I. J OHNSON. DOLLACE M. J OHNSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

